Category Archives: Newport Beach

Post navigation

The final roadway markings are being applied today and the roadway will be open for all users this weekend.

Installation of new signs and markers will begin Monday and is planned to be complete by Thursday. During this task, the vehicle gates will again be closed to prohibit vehicles, but cyclists and pedestrians will be allowed on the roadway. Upon completion of this task, the roadway will again be opened to all users.

NOTE: During this project, construction workers and equipment may be on the roadway. Users should use caution when entering into and traveling along Back Bay.

Please pass this information on to others that may be interested. If you desire more information, I can be reached at the email address or number below.

Have a great day!

Brad Sommers, PE
Senior Civil Engineer
Public Works Department
City of Newport Beach

The scenic portion of Back Bay Drive, from Shellmaker Road to Eastbluff Drive will be closed to all users (pedestrians, cyclists, motorists) weekdays beginning Tuesday, February 17 until Friday, February 27 while the road is resurfaced, striped and new signage is installed. The roadway will reopen for the weekend.

Sunday, November 17, Newport Beach — Riders from around Orange County turned out to mourn the death and celebrate the life of Irvine cyclist, Paul Lin, 41. The pace was reserved and tears were shed when the ride reached the scene of the collision, San Joaquin and Marguerite, in Corona del Mar.

A ghost bike marks the intersection now, a reminder we hope to motorists that cyclists are present even when they’ve forgotten us.

Flowers and a ghost bike in Memory of Paul Lin at the intersection of San Joaquin and Marguerite, Corona del Mar.

Riders from various clubs and the Robert’s Cycling Meetup Group came together to cycle in memory of Paul Lin.

Paul Lin, 41, died Wednesday, November 6, struck by an SUV on San Joaquin Hills Road, in Newport Beach.

A separate Memorial Fund is established in Paul’s memory. If you would like to contribute please use the button, below. Funds will be used for education and on-going advocacy so that we may reduce cyclist death and injury in Orange County.

Bicyclists have been drawn to Newport Beach and Corona del Mar since the streets were rutted dirt. As the towns have grown so has the attraction: the ocean, Pacific Coast Highway, challenging climbs and hilltop views. But more than in surrounding towns cars, high speed roads, and a sense of driver entitlement makes Newport Beach more dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians. It’s as if the needs of human beings on the street matter less than those of drivers; people in Newport Beach have a “right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” only in their cars.

Does human life mean less than the convenience of motorists?

That’s a serious question. It’s being asked nationwide these days and, believe it or not, there is debate. One need only read the comments which follow stories in LA Times, New York Times, The Economist and elsewhere. Irate drivers are quick to say that cyclists suffer pain and death because, essentially, we dare invade their precious turf. Rude, dangerous behavior, they claim, is only tit for tat. A two second delay to avoid a sideswipe or pause to allow a cyclist to exit an intersection is too much to ask in a culture dominated by auto advertising and the promise of a better life only a better car can provide.

“Around here, you’ve got to love what you drive,” says Fletcher Jones. Apparently you don’t have to love anything– or anyone– else.